Recruitment
by Benjamin J Brown
Summary: Post season 9, AU, nothing happened to Oliver. I don't claim to own anything in this story. Oliver travels to Gotham with Mia in hopes of bolstering the Justice League's ranks. Prelude to 'The Return of Clark Kent'.
1. Arrival in Gotham

Oliver sat in his seat in his private jet. They were apparently about to land in Gotham. He'd decided to go there after hearing of a masked vigilante who had a thing about bats. Since Clark was missing, presumed dead, his team needed as many people in it as possible, and this 'Bat-man' seemed the type to fit the bill.

"So, why are we going to Gotham again?" Mia said as she came out of the bathroom, drying her hair.

"There's someone I want to meet." Oliver said.

"Right…" She said "So, this isn't suspicious to people because…?"

"Because I have an old school friend in Gotham." He replied "His name's Bruce Wayne. I'm guessing you know who that is."

"Chairman and CEO of Wayne Enterprises and Gotham's most eligible bachelor, debatably the world's most eligible bachelor."

"I thought I had that one locked down." He said.

"Nope, mister committed relationship." She said "What do you see in Chloe anyway?"

"Well, she's hot for one." Oliver quipped "No, I don't know, it just kind of… happened."

"Enjoy it Ollie." She said "We both know _my_ relationship record."

"Mia, you'll find someone, somewhere." He replied "Hey, I hear the guy Bruce is the legal guardian for is kind of cute."

"No thanks." She said "I don't do blind dates anymore."

Oliver got up and walked over to the mini bar, pouring himself a martini.

"You want one?" He said "They're good."

"Last I checked, seventeen year olds aren't allowed to drink." She said "Oh, that's right, laws only apply to people like us when it suits us."

"Kind of over simplifying it, but I guess that's as good an explanation as any." He said, downing the martini "Get your bag, we touch down in 15 minutes."

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

Slade Wilson came running out of the building, two of his men in tow. They'd just completed the hit on a councilman and were looking forward to the spoils of their latest success. As he was about to get in the getaway car, he heard a noise above and was jumped on by a young man, getting kicked in the face.

He looked up and spotted the young man. He had black spiked hair and wore a green suit of body armour with a red tunic over the torso, a black eye mask, a black cape with yellow trim, a yellow belt with several pouches and had an 'R' on the left breast of the tunic.

"Well, if we don't have the bird." He said, sneering "Where's the bat?"

"No idea." The young man said with a grin "Why don't you try asking your guys."

Slade turned to see his men being floored by a tall man in grey armour with further black armour plating all around the crotch area, a yellow belt similar to the boys, black boots and gloves, the gloves scalloped, a black scalloped cape and a cowl with pointed ears like a bat's on top. In the centre of the chest was a yellow oval with a bat in the centre.

"Batman!" He said, a slight hint of worry in his voice.

"That's right Slade." Batman sneered at him, his voice gravelly "You're coming with us."

"And what if I refuse?" Slade asked.

"Then I tell Robin to back off and deal with you myself." Batman said, his eyes narrowing.

"Fine, bring it!" Slade said, shaping up and pulling a short sword off of his back.

"I hoped you'd say that." Robin said "I love this part."

"What part?" Slade said, before realising Batman was descending on him, knocking him down then knocking him out.

"Nice one." Robin said "Three nothing to you I guess."

"Come on, let's go." Batman said as he tied Slade and his men together and pressed a control on his belt, calling the police there "It's getting late and you have school tomorrow."

"Aww man." Robin said as he followed Batman to the long black car waiting round the corner, getting in as Batman did the same.

"Don't complain Dick." Batman said as the cockpit slid shut and he activated the rocket booster on the back of the car "At least I'm not keeping you out here all night. If I were, that exam would be the least of your problems."

"Fine." Robin said "But Bruce?"

"Yes?" Batman said as he drove the car.

"You've got to let me grow up some time." Robin replied "I can't be the _boy_ wonder forever. I mean, I'm eighteen years old."

"I know." Batman said "Tell you what; you come up with something better than Robin and I'll listen."

"Fine…" Robin said as the car flew through a waterfall and into a cave, the cockpit sliding open as it stopped on a turn table "I'm going to go get some sleep."

"Good." Batman said as they got out, pulling off his cowl to show his good looking features and black wavy hair "I'll see you at breakfast."

"Good night Al." Robin said, pulling off his mask and the tunic as he walked past the grey haired man in a suit.

"Good night Master Dick." The man said, turning to Batman "I trust tonight went well master Bruce?"

Bruce sighed, removing his cape and tossing it over the back of the chair at a super computer. He turned to the man in the suit.

"Alfred, Deathstroke was able to kill the councilman. I was too late." He said, hanging his head.

"Master Bruce, I've known you for a long time, all your life in fact." Alfred said, putting a hand on Bruce's shoulder "You may fail in what you've decided is your duty from time to time, but you always make up for it. Look at all the good you do for Master Dick. I sometimes find myself wondering how his life would have been if he had been sent to an orphanage rather than been taken in here, and I always reach the same conclusion; he would've had a much unhappier time."

"I know." Bruce said, raising his head and walking into the adjacent changing room, removing his gauntlets as he went in, calling back "I just think maybe his life would be better without all this. Maybe being Robin isn't what's best for him."

"Master Bruce, isn't that his choice?" Alfred said as Bruce walked out of the changing room in jeans and a t-shirt "Doesn't he have as much right to make his choice as you had to make yours?"

"I suppose." Bruce said "Anyway, I'm going to let him take the lead and set the example here. I'm going to bed."

"Very well sir." Alfred said as Bruce began to walk out "Good night."

"Good night Alfred." Bruce called back as he walked up the stone steps out of the cave, leaving Alfred alone.


	2. The Meeting

Oliver walked out of the bathroom in his suite in the hotel. He was wearing a towel and dripping on the carpet slightly. That's why hotels loved him; not because of his billions of dollars but because of his causing so much work for their cleaning staff. He grinned lightly at the idea as he walked through to his bedroom.

As he finished drying off and had gotten as far as pulling on a pair of jeans, he heard a knock on his bedroom door.

"Mia?" He said to her through the locked door.

"Yeah, Ollie, you've got a visitor." Mia replied.

"Who is it?" He asked "Let me guess; Bruce Wayne?"

"And a guy in his late teens is with him." Mia said "I see what you meant. He _is_ cute."

"Don't get any ideas, you've got training to finish before you think about boys." Oliver quipped as he pulled on his shirt and unlocked the door while buttoning it up.

He was met by a tall man about his age in a black business suit with a white shirt and red tie. He had his wavy black hair quite neat but not so neat that he looked a total tool. The young man beside him was of an entirely different breed; he wore jeans, a lime green t-shirt, a black leather jacket and black converse all stars. He had his short jet black hair cut relatively short and styled relatively similar to Oliver's.

"Bruce, pleasure to see you again." Oliver said, shaking Bruce's hand before moving to the young man beside him "And you must be Richard Grayson."

"Dick." The young man corrected him "I _hate_ being called Richard."

"I'll keep that in mind, Dick." Oliver replied, before gesturing to Mia to come over "I see you've already met my protégé, Mia Dearden."

"Yes I have." Dick said with a smirk "And I've got to say, _wow_."

"Wow?" Oliver said "Funny, I seem to recall some other guy said that to her just last week, but he likes to live a bit quicker than most."

"Live fast, die young." Bruce said, pointing at the two sofas by a coffee table "Mind if we sit down? My legs are killing me."

"Sure, go ahead." Oliver said "You guys want a drink?"

"Martini for me." Dick said before Bruce could get a word in.

"He'll have a coke, _I'll_ have the martini." Bruce said, getting a muttered 'spoil sport' from Dick.

As Oliver went to grab the drinks, Mia sat down on the couch opposite Bruce and Dick, pushing down her skirt as she did. She looked at Dick and raised an eyebrow.

"So, Dick, tell me something about yourself." She said as Oliver got back with a tray.

She was relatively new to the façade style life, but she was getting good. What amazed her more was that Oliver could actually balance a tray. He may have been the best marksman she'd ever seen with a bow, but he was still a billionaire playboy and not used to things like bringing drinks in for people.

"Well, I was raised by my parents with my older brother as part of a circus until they died." Dick said "That was three years ago. Bruce took me in and I've been living with him since."

"I meant something that _isn't_ in public records." She said "Like, I don't know, favourite food, favourite sport, favourite pass time, something like that."

"Dating pretty girls." He said with a smirk, before laughing "Just kidding. It's got to be racing motorcycles. Nothing's quite as exhilarating as that."

"Oh, you race bikes?" Oliver said, sipping his drink "What bike you ride?"

"Kawasaki ninja." Dick replied "600 cc."

"600? Not bad." Oliver said "I guess Brucey here makes you stick to the lower weight classes for safety, huh?"

"Only until he's finished school." Bruce said "What he does after that is his choice."

"I said the same to Mia." Oliver said "When she finishes school, what she does is her choice. Until then, I'll help out where I can, and after then, of course."

"Of course." Bruce replied as he sipped his own drink.

"What about you?" Dick asked her "What do you like doing when Oliver here isn't training you to be a corporate titan?"

"I wouldn't say I'm a titan." Mia said "But I'm a bit of a fighter."

"Ooh, a fighter." Dick said "That sounds interesting."

"Whoa, look at the time." Oliver said as he looked at his clock "Bruce, Dick, thanks for stopping by, we should do lunch, I'm in Gotham until the end of the week."

"Okay, fine." Bruce said, getting up and shaking Oliver's hand "Pleasure as always. Come on Dick, let's go."

"Okay, fine." Dick said, winking at Mia before they walked out, tossing back "See you around."

"Dick, I need a favour." Bruce said once the door was closed as they got into the lift "I want you to keep Miss. Dearden busy while I have Alfred distract Oliver at dinner."

"Why?" Dick asked as they got out of the lift.

"Oliver's hiding something." Bruce said.

"Ooh, getting a visit from the big bad bat is he?" Dick said, getting in the backseat of the car parked out front with Bruce getting in the other side.

"No, he's going to be at Wayne Manor with Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson." Bruce said "Hence Alfred distracting him. I'll say I need to go to the bathroom and go get changed. He won't know Batman was there _or_ that I left."

"Right." Dick said "Al, you hear all this?"

"Perfectly, sir." Alfred said "Personally, I think it's one of your better plans."

"Good, then it's settled." Bruce said, pulling out his cell phone and quickly typing a text message then sending it "There, invitation extended."

…………………………………………………………………………………………

"Well, that sounds nice." Oliver said as he read the text and replied "Mia, have you got that dress I gave you a little while back?"

"Yeah." She said "Why?"

"We're going to dinner tonight, at Wayne Manor." He said "I need you looking your best if you're going to keep Dick Grayson busy while I see exactly what Bruce Wayne's trying to hide."

"What makes you think he's hiding something?" She asked.

"Bruce was always aloof, but he was never quite like he was during that meeting." Oliver said "So, I think he's hiding something."

"Sounds like someone else we know." She said with a grin.

"I know…" Oliver said "Which is why I'm looking into it."

"Right…" She said "Is this going to be a visit in or out of green, and do I need to pack my _other_ outfit?"

"No, you don't. This visit's going to be Oliver Queen, _not_ Green Arrow." Oliver replied "Now, go get ready. We leave in two hours."

"Fine." She said as she walked off into her room.


	3. Dinner at Wayne Manor

Oliver knocked on the door of Wayne Manor. He was carrying a bottle of wine while Mia carried her red purse. He was wearing a grey suit with green shirt while Mia was wearing a golden yellow knee length dress.

"Mr. Queen, Miss. Dearden." A grey haired man with a British accent said with a curt nod as he opened the door "Master Bruce and Master Dick are expecting you. If you would like to follow me."

"Let me guess; you're Alfred Pennyworth?" Oliver said, receiving a nod from the man as he led them through the manor "I figured, Bruce used to go on about you all the time like you were his father."

"I would never presume to replace Master Bruce's parents." Alfred said "However, yes, I raised him since he was eight years old."

"When his parents died." Oliver said "I can relate."

"Indeed." Alfred said as they entered a dining room where Bruce and Dick were sat at a table "Sirs, Mr. Queen and Miss. Dearden here to see you. Dinner shall be ready within the next ten minutes."

"Great, thanks Alfred." Bruce said, gesturing to the seats at the table "You two want to take a seat?"

"Thanks." Oliver said as they sat down before holding up the wine bottle "I brought wine."

"Great." Dick said, rolling his eyes "More stuff for Bruce to tell me not to drink."

"Oh, I'm sure Brucey will make an exception this once, right Bruce?" Oliver said, looking at Bruce.

Bruce looked at him for a moment, not sure what to make of it. Half of him wanted to tell Oliver where to go, half of him wanted to say sure why not.

"Fine." Bruce said "But _only_ if you're letting miss. Dearden drink too. It'd be rude otherwise."

"Oh, absolutely." Oliver said "And still using last names? Wow that must be the longest you've stayed professional with a young woman."

"It's up there." Bruce said with a smirk "But you forget, I always had the utmost regard for legality."

"Yeah, I remember." Oliver said "How many times did that get you in trouble again?"

Before Bruce could reply, Alfred came in pushing a silver trolley with five plates on it. He set the plates down in front of each of the people at the table and setting an extra place for himself before sitting at it.

Mia looked down at the plate. There was steak, jacket potato, carrots, sweet corn, lettuce, tomatoes and onion.

"This looks great." She said, getting a kind smile from the old man "Thank you."

"You're quite welcome." He said.

"Tastes great." Dick said "Al, this is the best steak you've ever done, and that's saying something."

"Thank you sir." Alfred replied.

"This is brilliant." Bruce said, cutting into his potato "You've got to stop outdoing yourself, you're going to start making me too fat to move."

"I'll keep that in mind." Alfred said, before looking to Oliver "Mr. Queen, weren't you in school with master Bruce?"

"Oh god." Dick said to Mia as Oliver, Alfred and Bruce started having their own little conversation "Looks like we're going to be sat here bored all evening."

"Looks like it." She said, raising her glass of wine "Here's to boredom."

"I'll drink to that." Dick said, raising his own glass before gulping down half of its contents and nodding towards Oliver "Wow, he has good taste in more than just room mates, huh?"

"Yes, he does." Mia said, refusing to let herself blush at the compliment.

There was no denying Dick was attractive, even if he was a bit arrogant. She supposed living in what could be classed as a top of the line bachelor pad, that was to be expected. However, all she had to do was keep him busy so Oliver could disappear to take a look around and that was all she was going to do.

"I'm just going to head to the bathroom." Oliver said as he got up "If you'll excuse me."

"Of course." Bruce said, seeing the job of keeping Oliver distracted could be easier than it seemed.

"Mia, don't do anything I wouldn't." Oliver said with a grin, pointing at Dick "And you, don't do anything I _would_ do."

"No promises." Dick said with a grin.

Bruce sat at the table finishing his meal for a minute before putting his fork down and getting up.

"I've got to go make some calls." He said, walking out of the room and calling back "I'll be in the study if anyone needs me."

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

Oliver had been looking around the ground floor of the manor for the last ten minutes, trying to find exactly what Bruce was hiding. He'd ended up in the study, trying to find something in there. As he began looking around the desk, he heard someone coming. Acting quickly, he moved into the corner, hiding in the shadows.

Bruce came walking in and walked to the keyboard in the opposite corner to Oliver. He played a few notes, causing a clicking to come from the grandfather clock. He walked over to the clock and pulled the front gently, causing the clock to open, exposing a hidden staircase which he headed into. Before it had a chance to close, Oliver quickly slipped in, counting on the lack of light in the staircase to keep him hidden

After a minute of walking down stairs, Bruce disappeared round a corner. When Oliver got to the bottom, he understood why. He was inside a cave full of high tech equipment. He noted the long black sports car on a turn table adjacent to a silver chamber that led into what appeared to be a changing room. He stepped further in and began moving towards the changing room.

"Can I help you, Mr. Queen?" A gravelly voice said from behind him.

Oliver span to see a figure in a dull grey body armour with black boots, black scalloped gauntlets, further armour, this part black, around the crotch area, a black scalloped cape and a cowl with what appeared to be bat's ears on top. On the centre of his chest, there was a yellow oval with a bat emblem in the centre of it.

"Love the outfit." Oliver said "Let me guess; Batman?"

"Yes." Batman replied "Mr. Queen. Or do you prefer Green Arrow?"

"What, what makes you say that?" Oliver said.

"You display all the tell tale signs of a dual identity, so I looked into you and all known vigilantes." Batman said "Given what you wore to Lex Luthor's charity gala after dark Thursday and your penchant for archery, it doesn't take the world's greatest detective to work it out."

"You are as good as they say." Oliver said "Well, since you worked mine out, do I get to peek under yours."

"No." Batman said "Now, tell me. What is it you came to Gotham for really?"

"Well, funny you should say that." Oliver said "I need to talk to you about something, but first, Bruce, lose the mask. I saw you come in here and go round there."

"Fine…" Batman said, removing his cowl to reveal Bruce's face underneath "So, what is it you want to talk about?"


End file.
